Fairy Tales & Folklore Audiobooks | Literature

"This story of Lord Rama—the 7th incarnation of Lord Vishnu—is a wondrous tale of cosmic adventure that immerses the listener in a world of heroes, gods, and demons. At about 50,000 lines, the original Ramayana is one of the largest epic poems in history, as well as one of the world's most important literary and spiritual masterpieces. This translation by William Buck—read by Ram Dass, one of the most revered spiritual writers of the last fifty years—makes the ancient text accessible to the modern Western world, while preserving the richness of the original."

William Buck (Author), Ram Dass (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Animals Could Talk

"Aesop was a storyteller and slave who lived 2,500 years ago in ancient Greece. Because of his humble position in society, Aesop could not speak his thoughts openly. So he told fables, stories in which animals speak and act like people. Aesop could not speak out, but in his fables the animals could talk and comment on human society without rebuke. To this day, Aesop's fables are retold by storytellers the world over."

Heather Forest (Author), Heather Forest (Narrator)

Audiobook

Santa & Pete: A Novel of Christmas Present and Past

"Who would ever guess that the beloved legend of Santa Claus involves a seldom-told tale of faith and friendship between two men -- one white and one black? Long ago, Santa Claus had an African partner named Pete and together they brought the spirit of Christmas to America's first settlers. These two forever changed the way families celebrate the holiday. But through the years, Pete's contribution was forgotten. Now Santa & Pete restores the legacy in delightful style and delivers an inspiring message of hope and harmony among people. The story starts with a bus driver who takes his grandson along on Saturdays as he travels a historical route in New York City. What unfolds is a series of wonderful adventures that culminate on Christmas Eve, when the bus gets stuck in a snowstorm. That's when the grandfather's running genealogy lesson, based on author Christopher Moore's own family history, arrives at its final destination: the story of Santa and Pete. A truly magical tale, Santa & Pete will take you and your family back to the heart of Christmas."

Christopher Moore, Pamela Johnson (Author), Delroy Lindo (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Mermaids Singing

"There is an island off the west coast of Ireland called Inis Muruch—the Island of the Mermaids—a world where myth is more powerful than truth, where the sea sings with the healing and haunting voices of women, and where death is never as strong as the redemptive power of family and love. It is here that Lisa Carey sets her lyrical and sensual first novel, weaving together the voices and lives of three generations of Irish-American women. Years ago, Cliona—strong, proud, and practical—sailed for Boston, determined to one day come home. But when the time came to return to Inis Muruch, her daughter Grace—fierce, beautiful, and brazenly sexual—resented her mother's isolated, unfamiliar world. Though entranced by the sea and its healing powers, Grace became desperate to escape the confines of the island, one day stealing away with her small daughter Grainne. Now Grainne, motherless at fifteen after Grace's death from breast cancer—is about to be taken back across the ocean by Cliona, repeating the journey her mother was forced to make years before. She goes to meet a father she has never known, her heart pulled between a life where she no longer belongs to a family she cannot remember. On the rocky shores of Inis Muruch, she waits for her father, and begins to discover her own sexual indentity even as she struggles to understand the forces that have torn her family apart. In her first novel, Lisa Carey has crafted voices so real and passionate that they resonate within the listener long after the last words are heard."

Lisa Carey (Author), Jan Maxwell (Narrator)

Audiobook

Myth — Dreams of the World: Stories of the Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses

"Brought to life in more than a dozen mini-portraits are such legendary figures as Apollo, Athena, Aphrodite, Hera, Prometheus, Zeus, and many more. Myths and legends form the foundation for all cultures. The Greek and Roman myths were early tales created to explain the world and are now inextricably woven throughout music, art, film, theater, literature, politics, and daily life. Thousands of years old, these myths continue to inspire and intrigue. In Myth – Dreams of the World, these stories are reinvigorated with original recordings by an eclectic and intriguing array of artists including Iggy Pop, George Clinton, Lori Carson, Suzanne Vega, Lemmy, Jaron Lanier and members of The Last Poets. The recording also features musical contributions from Material, Anton Fier, Liu Sola, Jeff Bova and Alex Hass, Painkiller (Mick Harris, Bill Laswell, and John Zorn), Automaton, Buckethead, Nicky Skopelitis, and members of Parliament Funkadelic. For listeners who remember the stories from their childhood, Myth – Dreams of the World is a classical/modern recording that intrigues, disturbs, amuses, and inspires."

Janet Reinstra (Author), Jeff Bova (Narrator)

Audiobook

Peter Pan

"Since 1904, when Peter Pan first flew across a London stage and into the bedroom of Wendy, John, and Michael Darling, this classic tale has continued to delight children of all ages. Peter, a mischievous and free-spirited boy who never grows up, lives with fairies on a mythical island called Neverland. There, he can fly and is the champion of a band of boys and best friend to the fairy Tinker Bell. Returning to England, Peter becomes involved with the Darling children, who all happily soar with him to enchanted Neverland and numerous adventures. The Darlings eventually return home, leaving Peter Pan to his perpetual boyhood. In a tale as ageless as its beloved hero, the story's emotional truths about youth, freedom, and responsibility continue to touch the heart and thrill the imagination."

J Barrie (Author), Sandy Duncan (Narrator)

Audiobook

Fairy Tales & Folklore Audiobooks in Literature